


A Generation of Lies

by DeansGirl023



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Drama, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-02 22:13:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6584674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeansGirl023/pseuds/DeansGirl023
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I wished that I knew before hand how much moving to Los Angeles would be a life changing event. Maybe I could've prepared for it mentally just a little bit better. Instead, the events just keep smacking me in the face. Who knew that having a new partner and changing cities across the country would cause so much havoc in my life....</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It's been an exhausting year. If I have to be honest, it's only been six months since I made the big move out to Los Angeles. I was lucky enough that the LAPD needed a new detective on their force. So I bought the ticket to interview and the lieutenant hired me on the spot. It wasn't because they were desperate...I'm just that good at what I do and it doesn't hurt that I live my job. No, seriously, there are the people who say they work all the time, but they still manage to have a little fun in there lives. Well, I'm definitely not one of those.

 

I bring my files home with me, eat, bathe, barely sleep, and then I'm at it again. This is my life for 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,765 hours., 5,255,948 minutes, and 31,556,926 seconds.

 

Alright, alright, I might have been a little over exaggerating, but I seriously didn't have a social life. My last boyfriend just so happened to be my partner back home, which was one of the reasons why I had to leave there, but I'm not going to get into that right this minute. That was two years ago and things weren't looking up for my social life now that I live on the other side of the country. I obviously wasn't putting myself out there either.

 

So here I am at a new district, a new boss, and a partner that I'm not happy with right now. IF you could even call this guy one. He's pretty much never here and I've been bitter about this whole thing. I had requested a female partner and I had been denied. Not only that, but some woman named Hetty Lange had specifically requested me to work with this detective. I never did get a straight answer on the reasoning behind this subject matter.

 

Apparently, whatever this woman wanted, she received. I actually haven't met her, but I heard she was a force to be reckoned with. Not going to lie, but I'm still slightly confused about this whole work arrangement. Even after all this time, I still count it as a good day when I don't have to speak to my so called “partner” and I can keep to myself.

 

A small sigh escaped out and I looked at the clock on my laptop for probably the twentieth time in the last forty minutes. It was almost the end of my shift and the last hour seemed to be dragging ass today. I had a nice bottle of Patron with some chips and salsa calling my name. I just wanted to kick back and relax for the weekend.

 

I was suppose to be writing up my last report, but I wasn't able to stay focused. Lieutenant Bates has been on the phone for the past two hours, pacing back and forth in his office with the door shut. It was very clear that something was wrong and it was just a matter of time before I found out about it. The lieutenant and I had become sort of friends...if you can even say that. I wasn't the friendliest person around here and you could say I was an outcast for it, but that hardly ever bothered me.

 

“Detective Raymond,” He finally opened up his door and motioned for me to come in. “We need to talk.”

 

I sat down in front of his desk and studied the quiet man. It looked like Roger Bates had aged about ten years since walking into the police department early this morning. I didn't even realize until this exact moment that I had grown quite fond of the man. He reminded me of my dad...which instantly made me feel even more somber.

 

“What happened?”

 

“We lost Detective Haru Adachi this afternoon,” Bates responded with a sigh. “And you need to call Deeks.”

 

That folks is how the last fifteen minutes of my shift screwed up my idea of a relaxing weekend.

 


	2. Chapter 2

After I got home, I had finally figured out what I was ordering in for dinner tonight. It had been a strong debate between Chinese and a greasy cheeseburger. The craving for rice and Lo Mein noodles kicked in stronger than the grease factor, so I made the call and grabbed a quick shower. Dripping wet and only in a towel, I found my comfiest pair of sweats and a baggy t-shirt to throw on. What was the point in dressing cute at home when no one else would be there to see it? I guess some women would count the delivery person, but not me!

 

I heard the doorbell ring on the house that I was renting. A sigh of relief escaped me! I didn't realize how hungry I was until I started looking at the menu earlier. I had probably ordered enough food for six people, but there was too much to choose from and my stomach had let out a protesting growl of hunger. I answered the door and chuckled to myself. It was the same teenager that delivered to me two other times this week.

 

“Hello, Roy!”

 

“Hey, Chloe...this is the third time this week. You do realize this house has a kitchen? Come to think of it, do you even know what a kitchen is?” The kid winked and shook his head. He always teases me about eating out so much.

 

“Of course I do!” I pretended to be offended. “I even know how to cook!”

 

“Ha! If I saw the same person that delivered my food more than twice a week, I'd say that too.” Roy said, laughing. “It's gonna be $30.”

 

“Here's $50 and keep the change. I know your saving money up for the pretty girl you wanted to take out on a date next weekend. Have you asked yet?”

 

Beaming he said, “Sure did! Yesterday actually and she said yes!” Looking at his watch he said, “Oh crap! I better go before my boss kills me and thanks for the tip! See ya soon!” Roy yelled out as he ran down the stairs towards the car.

 

See ya soon? Maybe I did need to start socializing more. Talking with Roy when he brings my food proves I still know how. It's not even that I dislike people or socializing with them. I just don't care to get too close to anyone. They always die or end up hurting you in the long run.

 

I was about to shut my door when I saw a car pull up and park where Roy's had just left. I wasn't thrilled to see that it was my “sort of” partner.

 

“What do you want, Deeks?” I said, rolling my eyes. He just gave me that shit eating grin and kept walking this way. I had a feeling I wasn't going to get rid of him anytime soon.

 

“Well...I thought that I would invite you to dinner.” He saw the huge bag of food and laughed. “I guess you already have food and some dinner guests though by the looks of it.”

 

Now, whatever possessed me to not to agree with what he said, I will probably never know. Deeks had given me the perfect out for getting away from his company and yet, a part of me wanted to see what he would say. I seriously doubted his other partner would approve of him being here tonight. I wasn't sure if they were dating yet, but it was clear that there was something between the partners.

 

“Actually...I couldn't decide on what to eat and was starving. I have a feeling that I'm not going to be able to get rid of you to easily, am I?” I mumbled.

 

“Not yet.” He replied shortly. When he walked in, I watched him take a look around and give out a whistle. “Nice place you have, Raymond. Did you decorate or hire someone before you moved out this way?”

 

I gave an unladylike snort. “Is that what you came out here to talk with me about? My interior decorating skills?”

 

Deeks shoved his hands in his pockets and gave me a serious look. I knew that I was keeping him at a distance. I didn't want to get close to him. Oh, I wasn't afraid of falling in love with him, that just wasn't possible. Friendship, however, was definitely a different story. I barely saw him though and what was the point of getting close to someone else? After six months, he hasn't really been there protecting my back and I don't need him. I haven't needed anyone since my dad died when I turned sixteen.

 

“No, your right. That's not what I wanted to talk with you about. I was talking with Kensi about you and....”

 

“Don't!” I yelled out, not meaning to be so harsh. I knew there was nothing really for him to say about me. I've never told him anything personal about myself and I was going to keep it that way for as long as possible. For some reason, it had just hit a nerve with me. “Sorry, I just don't like being talked about, ok?”

 

“I was just asking her what the best route was to getting to know you. Whether we like it or not, there's going to come a day when we will have to depend on one another. I know that you have a harder time trusting people more than her. Actually, you kind of remind me of my team leader over at NCIS when I first started working with them.” Deeks said with a smirk.

 

“Oh yeah? Is she a bitch just like me?” I watched the shock replace his smirk.

 

“My team leader is a he and no, he's not as secluded now as he use to be.” Deeks shrugged, “There is something else that we need to talk about. The whole reason why I came over tonight. I wanted to check on you and see what Bates had to say about this afternoon.”

 

I sighed because I was hoping to avoid this talk. I didn't like discussing my feelings or what was going on in the office. I still felt like he should be there all the time. It was like Deeks was abandoning me without ever really knowing me. I felt childish for feeling this way and sometimes wish I couldn't feel a damn thing at all.

 

“So you found out about Detective Adachi? How?” I asked, crossing my arms across my chest.

 

“Lt. Bates called me, but I was told it should have been you.” Deeks sighed. “Why didn't you pick up the damn phone, Chloe? How do you expect us to work together when you won't talk to me?”

 

Frustrated, I yelled out, “I don't expect anything out of you! It's really hard to work with someone who's never here!”

 

He threw his hands up in defeat. “Look, I know it's a shitty situation for you. I'm actually just as much surprised by all of this as you are, alright?”

 

“No!” I hissed out, my anger really starting to surface. “I was told before I moved here that I would have a female partner. I was going to be a detective with a pay raise, which was more than what I was making in New York. I was told that I would have a partner that would actually give a rats ass and would be there to back me up!”

 

“Chloe, this isn't...”

 

“So excuse me,” I said, cutting him off. I didn't want to hear his excuses. “If I don't care what reasoning your boss has for us being partners along with the other woman on her team. How am I suppose to work with a partner that spends all his time with another branch of the government?”

 

Deeks sighed once again. “I don't have the answers your looking for, Chloe. That's no reason why we can't try to be...”

 

“Get out!” I yelled while I was stomping over to my front door and threw it open. “As of right now, I don't want to see you until you have some answers or solutions for this...this so called partnership!”

 

When the door finally shut, I locked it and slid down to the floor. My anger and heartache for my fallen friend was too much for the day. Detective Haru Adachi had been more of a friend and partner than Marty Deeks ever was the last six months to me. It was Haru who was always there to cover me and make sure that I didn't get shot in the back. If I was to go undercover, it was him that would protect me. Not Detective Marty Deeks, LAPD liaison for NCIS LA!! I broke down in tears, wishing this was just a nightmare. I didn't know it was just the start of one....

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Deeks has made an entrance and let me tell you what, my girl Chloe is so not impressed. (This is not how the author feels, just the character for now...lol. I personally find him hilarious and can't wait to see them develop their friendship!) I know she sounds like a bitch right now, but she has a lot of pent up anger. I've read a ton of stories and see that the women usually give up their anger a little too easily...sometimes! Not always! I'm having a blast with this so far and hope everyone is enjoying reading my story. I don't really have an exact day when I will post. I've tried that and it doesn't usually work. Something usually comes up, but I will TRY to get at least one chapter up every week. Hope everyone has a good day!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**CHLOE'S POV**

 

Another officer was shot.

 

This is the fifth one this month.

 

It's only May 3, 2016.

 

Haru Adachi wasn't just another washed out cop just trying to make a living. He genuinely cared for others and wanted to leave a better place for his daughter to grow up. He joined the Army and became a Military Police Officer. He did that job for twenty years and retired early. He was only thirty-eight when that happened. He found his high school sweetheart, Cynthia, and they hit it off once again. They had a quick wedding and she got pregnant immediately.

 

Their daughter is now twelve years old and instead of thinking about boys, middle school, and making fun memories, she now has the death of her father at such a young age as a life changing event. The bond and loss between this little family was enough to make me ache. They were extremely close, all of them, and Becca's life was what I thought I had. At least, until my father died. It doesn't matter what age you are, losing a parent was a rough experience that I wish she didn't have to go through right now.

 

Lieutenant Bates and I were standing right behind Cynthia and Becca, trying to offer as much support as possible. This was one of the few times that I wasn't with Haru and look what had happened. He was gone and so many people were here to mourn him. So much guilt was eating away at me. I felt like I had failed him and his family.

 

I know Detective Deeks is supposed to be my partner, but like I told him, he's never around. At least, not when it matters...

 

Haru and I had actually grown to be friends since I arrived here. He was the only one who wasn't put off by my attitude. I talked with him a little bit about the events that made me leave New York, but not in massive details. I hadn't been ready for that yet, but he was completely understanding. So he would usually talk about his family and I loved the stories he told me. It made me feel like I was apart of something again. We had even started talking about me coming over and meeting his wife and daughter.

 

This was definitely not the way it should've been. Haru should be home, enjoying his weekend off. He should be talking to Becca about school and volleyball practice. Possibly helping her out with a book report. Cynthia and him should be out on the porch drinking margaritas while their daughter is in bed and canoodling like a married couple who's been in love for years.

 

Detective Haru Adachi should not be lowered into his final resting place. This funeral shouldn't even be happening and I, for one, couldn't wait to get back to work to find the person who murdered my friend!!

 

It's a given that everyone was heavyhearted today. Most definitely didn't help when Cynthia received the folded American Flag and the three-volley salute started. Becca had been crying before any of that had started and Cynthia had held out until the shots were fired.

 

My eyes were watering too, but I refused to let them fall. I didn't feel like I should be allowed to let them soak my face. Realistically, I know I wasn't on the case and this wasn't my fault. I just wish I could've been there so I would have been able to take his place. I didn't have anyone to come home to at night. So why should I be the one living right now instead of Haru?

* * *

 

**DEEKS POV**

 

The funeral was over and another good man was gone. The crime rate in Los Angeles has been picking up over the last eight months. No one was sure of why there was a spike, but LAPD and NCIS was definitely trying to get a handle on it.

 

Kensi has been a nervous wreck since Friday night. That's when the lieutenant called me saying I needed to get my head out of my ass, to which she agreed with him. She's afraid now that I actually have a partner in the LAPD, I'll be gone more often. However, that is not what has happened. I know that Kensi worried when she's not around to back me up. I know that she wants me to sign those papers Hetty gave me to officially make me an agent. I can't do it yet. I'm still torn between the “what if” situations. Maybe one day though...

 

Then there's Chloe Raymond...my newest partner. I don't know much about her, except what is in her file. Thanks to Callen. Hetty wasn't going to give it to me to read. I have tried to get to know Chloe, but mostly have ignored the whole situation thinking it might actually go away. HA! Guess not, right? Wasn't one female partner stressful enough?

 

“So, is that Detective Chloe Raymond a.k.a. The Other Partner?” I feel Kensi's hand give mine a reassuring squeeze before she links our arms together.

 

Okay...so the two women in my life haven't met yet. It's way past time for it to have happened. I tried talking to that stubborn woman on the the day that Detective Adachi was murdered. I wanted to know why she didn't call me like Lt. Bates had demanded. I was also hoping to make sure she was alright emotionally. I knew she and him had worked together more than what was right. I was supposed to be making sure she wasn't getting killed out there. Unfortunately, Chloe was extremely angry with me and there was no one to blame, but myself.

 

“Yeah, it's her, Kensi.”

 

“You know, I really didn't want things to change.”

 

“Me either.”

 

“Guess we didn't really have a choice though.” She said with a sigh.

 

“I don't need a partner with the LAPD. Things were going fine before Hetty interfered.”

 

Kensi smiled and nudged me. I swear that woman knew I couldn't resist her. “If she hadn't meddled in everyone's lives, you wouldn't be here with me right now.”

 

My girl sure did have a point. Hetty usually tried to keep us all safe and happy in her own way. I've talked with Sam and Callen who have known the woman longer than us and neither one of them had a clue what she was up to with this train wreck. It couldn't possibly end well for any of us.

 

“She is a very beautiful woman, Deeks.” Kensi murmured softly.

 

I looked across the graveyard and spotted Chloe. I had never really studied her, but I took the time to do it now. She was wearing her dress uniform and her platinum blonde hair was pulled up in some fancy up do to keep it off her shoulders. Her eyes were covered up with these huge sunglasses that most people couldn't pull off, but she made them work. She was a few inches shorter than Kensi, even in those the dress shoes she was wearing.

 

It's funny how much like night and day these two women were, yet, there was one thing similar. Their tempers. I already got a small taste of Chloe's and I hope to never see it fully blown up. Maybe when I get to know her better, I'll see that her and Kensi will have even more in common than I originally thought.

 

“Don't go there, Kensi. She's not even close to my type.” I said, looking deeply into her eyes and watching her stunning face light up when she smiled again. I chuckled when I saw her eyes roll.

 

“Chloe is apparently someone's type...and I wasn't jealous, you dork!”

 

“For once...” I mumbled and felt Kensi's elbow connect softly to my ribs since our arms were still linked together.

 

“Seems like Callen hasn't been able to take his eyes off your new partner.”

 

Turning away from her smiling face, I noticed that she was right. Callen was standing a few feet away from us and staring down Chloe. I wasn't really sure how I felt about that. His partner, Sam, was talking to our team leader about something and he was responding. However, his eyes were still glued to her and it was making me a little nervous.

 

Of course, there was no way for me to tell what he was thinking and we couldn't even hear what Sam and Callen were saying to one another. I knew I didn't want them judging my new partner when I wasn't even sure what to think of her. Maybe I was being paranoid? They didn't know what was going on anymore than me and Kensi.

 

The only thing we all know: Callen is completely tired of Hetty's games. Who could possibly blame the man? He has more of a right than anyone!

* * *

**CALLEN'S POV**

 

This is the fifth death in three days. Three damn days! The crime rate has rocketed and it seems like we aren't doing enough lately. Sam and I are so tired of going to funerals for our fellow officers and friends.

 

I wish I could say that the higher crime rate was our only obstacle going on, but it's not. Right as the chaos was just starting, Deeks new partner had transferred from New York and was causing a different set of problems for us. It's not like it was her fault though and I probably shouldn't have asked Nell and Eric to do a thorough background check on the woman, but how could I not?

 

Hetty basically throws this woman at Deeks without a reason and expects him to cope. Which he hasn't been in the eight months they've been partnered together. He's mostly ignored her and then recently found out she wasn't too happy about it either.

 

While the service for Detective Adachi had been going on, I had spotted Chloe. She wasn't really hard to miss with that hair. I've never seen that shade of color on anyone before. I couldn't see her eyes, but I knew they were a brilliant, sapphire blue from the pictures Nell and Eric had dug up.

 

Lieutenant Bates and Chloe were standing right behind Haru's wife and daughter. Cynthia's hands were clinging to her's, possibly a little too tightly. Once the ceremony was over, I watched Chloe give Cynthia and Becca hugs and kisses on their cheeks, expressing sympathy over their loss. It was a very difficult moment to watch.

 

Sam and I worked our way up to the family and gave our apologies. Once we were done, I turned away and quickly spotted Chloe again. I heard my partner chuckle beside me.

 

“All you have to do is talk to her, G. It's not like this is middle school.” I cocked my head to the side and raised my eyes at him.

 

“I'm just trying to figure this all out.” Sam crossed his arms across his chest and was quiet for a minute.

 

“What part has you more thrown off more? The fact that she's hiding something about this woman or is it that Hetty's not messing with your life for once?”

 

Giving a small shrug, I said, “I really don't know, Sam.” We watched as she ventured a little away from everyone. Maybe she needs a little breathing room? I could relate to that sometimes.

 

A guy about Deeks height, that wasn't at the funeral, appeared out of nowhere. It seems the tall, dark haired man startled her and then I watched Chloe's beautiful face change. All of her emotions were gone instantly. The transformation was amazing and apart of me wished she wasn't able to be so good at it. The man got too close to her and whispered something in her ear. I saw her fists clench down at her sides, but I knew she wouldn't throw the punch. No matter how much she wanted too, this woman wouldn't cause a scene.

 

There was crunching on the gravel where Sam and I was standing by his car. I heard Kensi and Deeks talking softly, but I wasn't really paying attention. Without taking my eyes off of Chloe and the mysterious man, I knew I was going to ask a question that possibly didn't have an answer.

 

“Deeks, do you know that guy Chloe is with right now?” Frowning, he looked in her direction.

 

“No, I sure don't. Maybe it's a new guy the the lieutenant hired? He's been having to do that a lot this year and I don't know a lot of them anymore.”

 

“Well, whoever the man is, she doesn't like the him.” Kensi replied, and we all nodded our heads in agreement.

 

“Why bother her at a funeral?” Sam asked, but no one tried to answer that question.

 

I wish I knew what the hell was going on around here. Glaring in their direction, we heard him laugh and turn away, walking to his car. I snapped a photo on my phone and sent it to Eric, typing out a quick message. I asked him for anything he could get on this guy. Right now, I didn't care if it was just unpaid parking tickets.

 

Chloe continued to watch the man until he got in the car to drive away. I noticed her chest move like she let out a huge breath. Maybe she was stressed over the day. It was possible Deeks was right and this guy was just another cop she didn't get along with in the office. However, my gut instinct was screaming and it was rarely wrong.

 

She finally walked over to the fallen hero. I watched her mumble a few words and grab a white rose out of a bouquet, placing it softly with the rest of them lying there. It looked like she might have sniffled, but I couldn't be too sure. I knew I shouldn't be intruding on her private moment, but I couldn't pull myself away either. Chloe kissed the inside of her fingers and laid them down on the casket.

 

Once she turned away, I could feel the hair on my arms standing up and I knew she was staring at me. I knew Deeks was right there too, but it was definitely me she was staring at intently. I just knew it....

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a few weeks! However, I feel like I made up for that with this extra long chapter. I didn't realize that it would be like this and I was having a really hard time trying to figure out how to make Chloe meet the rest of the team. You'll be happy to know that I've definitely got it worked out now and I'm excited to start on the next chapter. I'm hoping no one has lost their interest in my story and thank you for the reviews I've received. There will be a lot of Deeks and Callen in my story and I felt like you needed their POV for what has been going on. I hope I don't make anyone angry, but this isn't a Densi story. I haven't seen season 6&7 and I'm not too comfortable writing them as a couple until I've seen the way they react to one another first. 
> 
> Also, this is another thing I need to point out and please, remember that this is fiction. Not everything is going to be the same as it is on the show. For example, my characters are ALL younger.
> 
> CHLOE-24  
> CALLEN-35  
> DEEKS-33  
> SAM-36  
> KENSI-30
> 
> If this makes anyone angry, I'm sorry, but you've been warned. I've seen a lot of people get nasty because there isn't Densi or you play around with the characters too much. (Remember: This is fanfiction and suppose to be fun.) So please...if you don't like it, don't read it. I hope no one finds this offensive and I'm not really a hateful person. I just wanted everyone to know what they are in for with my story before it progresses too much. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it and send me reviews so I know that you want me to keep writing. Thanks again!!


	4. Chapter 4

**CHLOE'S POV**

 

Mondays were the worst and this day was proving not to be the exception....

 

It was the day after Haru's funeral and only one reason brought me into the office today. I needed his files and the lieutenant was the person who had them. I was going to find his murderer, even if I wasn't the detective assigned to his case. That really hadn't been decided yet, that I knew of.

 

Walking past his desk to get to mine, it made my heart ache deeply. Not for the first time, I thought, Haru didn't deserve what had happened to him. There was no doubt in my mind I had grown attached to him as a friend, Once again, another person I cared about was ripped from my life.

 

Before I could sit down in my chair, Lt. Bates waved me over to him. Walking into his private office, I pushed the door closed. The bang echoed through out the room and I cringed. “Sorry,” I mumbled.

 

“It's fine.” He said, wearily.

 

I leaned up against the wall and crossed my arms. “Seems like I'm spending more time in here that I want. Maybe I should move my desk in here with yours.” I said, dryly.

 

“I don't share well with others, Chloe.” He replied. Giving me a studying look, I could tell he hadn't gotten much sleep since Friday night either. I knew that's what he was seeing with me too. Weren't we just two peas in a pod? “Are you sure you won't take some time off?”

 

Staring at him incredulously, “Are you kidding me right now? How can you even ask that of me? Haru was murdered and I'll be damned if whoever did it will go free much longer!” Glaring at him, I asked, “Are  _ you _ taking time off? Last time I checked, you guys were friends too.”

 

“Don't be ridiculous, Chloe, Of course, I'm not taking time off either. Just wanted to make sure your head was in the game. I want to catch this son of a bitch as badly as you do.” The lieutenant started rubbing his temples, something he did when a headache was coming on. “Cynthia called me this morning.”

 

“Are they alright?”

 

“They aren't in danger...for right now.” Bates quit messing with his head and started looking in his desk drawers for his ibuprofen.

 

“You think they could be though?”

 

There was a long, silent pause as he walked over to the mini fridge. Grabbing two bottles of water and walking back to his desk, he took a seat. Gesturing for me to sit down, I complied and watched him slide a bottle my way before shaking out the medicine to swallow.

 

“Thank you, sir.” He gave a short nod in response and winced from the pain.

 

“You know as well as I do, there's always a possibility of something leaking over into one's personal life.” Shaking my head in agreement, the lieutenant continued. “I knew putting Haru on this case was going to be a life changer. Listen to me very carefully, Chloe. We need to make sure that nothing else happens to the Adachi family and we figure out what Haru wasn't putting in his reports.”

 

“What makes you so sure that he was holding stuff off the record?” Picking up my water and taking a quick drink, I looked my boss in the eyes. Surely he didn't know mine and Haru's secret?

 

“I've read all the information he gathered and there's a lot that doesn't make sense.” Opening the bottom drawer of his desk, which held a lot more, he pulled out the huge stack of files that I was wanting to get my hands on. Pushing them my way, he said, “Cynthia and I are trusting you completely to find Haru's murder...and the reason why.”

 

“So no pressure. Got it!” I mumbled.

 

“Come on, Detective! Don't be...”

 

I was saved by the phone on his desk ringing. So his sentence went unfinished, but it was pretty obvious were he was going with those thoughts. We both knew I was good at my job, but let's be honest, I was a gigantic pain in the ass. That usually worked in my favor and made my line of work a lot easier. The phone conversation didn't take long and I was thankful for that because I wasn't a patient person. It was clear that it wasn't good news.

 

“Another one?” I asked, heavyhearted. All he could do was nod his head. I sighed, “Who was it?”

 

“Officer Joshua Starnes. His body was just found in a back alley dumpster in Santa Monica.”

 

“He..I..I just spoke to him yesterday!” I exclaimed.

 

“He was assigned on the same case as Haru.”

 

“Is there any way his cover was blown? I mean, there's always that possibility, but this doesn't seem to be a coincidence.” I could feel the anger taking over me. This guy was only a year older than me and it was his first undercover case. The guy was just a rookie! “What the hell is going on around here?!” I shouted at no one in particular.

 

“I'm not really sure, but I'm trusting you to figure it out. We can't afford to lose anyone else. I'm already having a difficult time telling spouses the bad news and hiring people on top of it.” Rodger Bates sighed. Of course, it wasn't easy on him either. He watched everyone grow to be stronger and better officers as the years go by, just to watch them fall.

 

Lt. Bates stood up, which meant it was time to take my leave. I picked up the huge stack of files and was almost to the door when I heard him call my name. Turning around, I watched him and felt this wasn't the same man I knew a few months ago. This wasn't the man who intimidated people and kept this place going. This was a man who was looking older than his years and was struggling to hold on to his sanity.

 

“Just watch yourself out there. Call me when you get to Santa Monica. I need to make sure that you arrived safely. I'll call Deeks and hopefully he can meet you out there.” I went to turn around to leave, but again, his next words stopped me cold. “Detective Raymond, Deeks will be helping you on this case. I figure at some point you will need backup.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he held his hand up and said with authority, “I won't tolerate your insubordination. This is non-negotiable and it's final.”

 

I was shaking my head and cursing myself the whole way over to my desk. I grabbed my keys and headed towards my car. That son of a bitch better stay out of my way! I don't need his help and he already has a team he works with, so why me? This day was just getting better and better!

* * *

 

 

**CALLEN'S POV**

 

**Ops:**

 

We were all gathered at our desks sitting and completely lost in thought. There hasn't been much to do besides training and paperwork. I wasstarting to worry about Deeks, who was extremely quiet today. He was never like that, unless something was wrong. Even then he's gung-ho to fix it. I wasn't sure if it had to do with Detective Adachi's murder and the fact the funeral was just yesterday. Or maybe it was his other partner he likes to ignore. Then there was the mysterious guy that showed up to speak with her too. Hearing my partner speak jerked me out of my thoughts.

 

“You do realize there's nothing you could have done? It was an undercover op and a case you weren't even put on.” Sam said.

 

“Yeah, I get that. What I don't understand is the whole two partner thing.” He said, speaking softly.

 

“Ignoring the situation will not make it go away, Mr. Deeks. I dare say, Ms. Raymond will be here for good. So you better learn how to deal with it.” Hetty said, promptly walking away once she was done.

 

I quickly followed her, hoping to get some answers. I hated the games she played with my life and was hoping she wasn't doing the same thing to Deeks now. We all needed to know why Detective Raymond was being forced into his life.

 

“Can I help you, Mr. Callen?”

 

Sitting down in a seat and sighing, I shook my head at her. “Don't give me this crap right now, Hetty. You know exactly why I'm in here.”

 

She gave a short nod of her head and said, “Chloe Raymond is in his life to stay, whether anyone likes it or not.”

 

I scoffed, wishing she would quit toying with everyone. “Why is that? What makes her so damn important?”

 

“The more you know, Mr. Callen, the more you don't know.”

 

“Aristotle,” I smirked, but it quickly turned into a frown. “I think your confusing the guy and your hurting his frame of mind. Deeks has been ignoring this woman for six months. Well, until Friday. I'm not exactly sure what your expecting, but someone's going to get hurt! What then?” I asked, storming out of the office. I knew she wasn't going to reply and that just made me even more annoyed then I already was before talking with her. 

 

I needed to blow off some steam, so I headed to the shooting range. I clearly wasn't paying any attention because I just about collided into Nell. Thankfully she was more observant than I am right now.

 

“Ahh! Just the man I needed to see!” Lowering her voice and quickly looking around before meeting my eyes, she said, “I got that information you wanted on the tall and handsome man at Detective Adachi's funeral.”

 

“Who else knows that I asked you and Eric?”

 

“Well, I'm sure Hetty does too, but she knows everything.”

 

“Tell me about it,” I mumbled. “What did you find?”

 

“His name is Detective Aaron Miles. He used to be Detective Raymond's partner at the NYPD.”

 

“So what is he doing all the way across the country and why show up at a funeral to someone he doesn't know?”

 

“I don't have those answers for you. Sorry, Callen. However, you should be able to find out easily enough. I've got the address and hotel he's staying at in this file. You might want to know he arrived early Thursday morning. There was one ticket bought. Eric and I couldn't find a departure time. Looks like he's going to be here awhile.”

 

Nell handed me the file folder, which was pretty thick. I always loved how thorough her and Eric could be when looking up information for us. “Thanks, Nell. Let Eric know for me too. Oh, and could you please not say anything to anyone else?”

 

She raised her eyes at me. “Are you not going to tell Deeks what we found? It is his partner.”

 

“No. At least, not yet. They need to work this out for themselves. If that's even possible. I just want to figure out why her ex-partner showed up after all this time. Especially right before Detective Adachi was murdered.” She just nodded her head. “Is there something else you need to tell me?”

 

After having an internal debate, she finally answered me. “Detective Miles is her ex. Eric also grabbed his finances for you and they are horrible. Looks like this guy isn't such a good cop either. Just read the file. It has everything you want and more. I've got to get back up there to Eric.” Turning away from me, she practically ran up the stairs. What the hell was that about?

 

“Things aren't looking up, are they?” Sam asked, walking up beside me and staring down the file that I was holding tightly in my hands.

 

“Doesn't look like it, Big Guy.”

 

“Thought you might like to know that Deeks is gone. He got a call from the LAPD. Something is going down, we didn't get the details, and it looks like Detective Raymond might need him.”

 

“I hope that Hetty knows what she's doing.” I said, shaking my head in disgust. I had a lot to read and now we were a man down. This didn't bode well for us.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've officially got this chapter up!! Yay!! You will be happy to know that the next chapter will be crammed pack with A LOT of Chloe and Deeks. It's about damn time those two started working together, right? However, it won't be the last time you see Sam and Callen. Those two wind up in trouble too much. Hehe! I know it been almost 3 weeks, but it shouldn't take me that long anymore. Summer vacation is here and I'm looking forward to posting a lot more quickly. Just don't expect 2 chapters in a week or something like that. I think my chapters are too long for that to happen, but that's just me. Anyway, thank you everyone for the reviews and can't wait to see what you think of this chapter. Let me know and hope you enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> So...not all my chapters will be short!!! This was more of a I'm trying to feel my way through and see how people liked the start of this story. Your going to see mostly Chloe's POV, but that may change as the story needs it too. I think she will be an interesting woman and fun to write. For those who have read this, I want to thank you and let me know how you feel about it so far!!!


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